Marked for Titus Bulus
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad7 May 2029
The knee: Abdullah Madu out for 114 days
114 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Al-Ettifaq lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Boardroom7 May 2029
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Market7 May 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad7 May 2029
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Georginio Wijnaldum commits to Al-Ettifaq for another 2 years.
Squad7 May 2029
A row about effort at Al-Ettifaq
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Abdulbasit Hindi was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad7 May 2029
Titus Bulus and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout7 May 2029
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Georginio Wijnaldum is on it.
The dugout7 May 2029
The manager's exit leaves João Costa exposed
Every squad has men who were signed by a particular manager and men who were merely inherited. João Costa is in the first group, and the man who wanted him here is no longer in the building.
The dugout7 May 2029
Abdoulaye Kanté asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom30 Apr 2029
Pressure builds in the Al-Ettifaq boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Market30 Apr 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Al-Ettifaq, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market30 Apr 2029
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Al-Ettifaq they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad30 Apr 2029
Words at Al-Ettifaq training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Georginio Wijnaldum is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad30 Apr 2029
Titus Bulus was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout30 Apr 2029
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Abdoulaye Kanté trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout30 Apr 2029
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Madallah Al-Olayan is on it.
Market30 Apr 2029
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Al-Ettifaq know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The dugout30 Apr 2029
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market23 Apr 2029
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Mohammed Al-Kadi will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Al-Ettifaq the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad23 Apr 2029
Words at Al-Ettifaq training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Georginio Wijnaldum is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad23 Apr 2029
Abdulbasit Hindi was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad23 Apr 2029
Titus Bulus pulls a muscle — 16 days out
The injury that keeps coming back, keeps being rushed back from, and quietly costs more careers than the dramatic ones. 16 days is the estimate; the honest figure depends on whether anybody is patient.
Squad23 Apr 2029
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Al-Ettifaq know it.
The dugout23 Apr 2029
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout23 Apr 2029
Nobody will confirm this and nothing else explains the last month of selections. A costly error buys a player a period of being second choice that is always longer than the error was.
Market23 Apr 2029
The name of Abdoulaye Kanté keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Al-Ettifaq say nothing, which says plenty.
The dugout23 Apr 2029
Issam Al-Qarni knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Issam Al-Qarni trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad9 Apr 2029
“The easiest signature of my career.” Ahmad Al-Rehaili and Al-Ettifaq agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad9 Apr 2029
Words at Al-Ettifaq training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Georginio Wijnaldum is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad9 Apr 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Ettifaq this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout9 Apr 2029
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout9 Apr 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Titus Bulus, and the manager let it.
Market9 Apr 2029
João Costa linked with a move away
The name of João Costa keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Al-Ettifaq say nothing, which says plenty.
Loan watch9 Apr 2029
The goals keep arriving from Joy Manana’s exile
6 goals in 24 games at Al-Hazem — numbers that travel home faster than he does. Somebody at Al-Ettifaq updates a spreadsheet every Monday, and it makes better reading each week.
The dugout9 Apr 2029
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad9 Apr 2029
Titus Bulus: “I am not a substitute”
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one Al-Ettifaq will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout26 Mar 2029
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Al-Ettifaq may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market26 Mar 2029
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Al-Ettifaq they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad26 Mar 2029
A row about effort at Al-Ettifaq
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Abdulbasit Hindi was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad26 Mar 2029
Titus Bulus in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Ettifaq this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout26 Mar 2029
Abdoulaye Kanté has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Al-Ettifaq will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout26 Mar 2029
Nobody will confirm this and nothing else explains the last month of selections. A costly error buys a player a period of being second choice that is always longer than the error was.
The dugout26 Mar 2029
João Costa knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and João Costa trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market26 Mar 2029
The name of Abdoulaye Kanté keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Al-Ettifaq say nothing, which says plenty.
Market26 Mar 2029
Al-Ettifaq have made Mohammed Al-Essa available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match14 Mar 2029
The small margins put Al-Ettifaq out
Out, 1‑2 to Al-Ittihad, and the long argument about which of the small moments decided it. The league is all there is now, and everybody knows it.
The dugout19 Mar 2029
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Al-Ettifaq may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market19 Mar 2029
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Al-Ettifaq is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad19 Mar 2029
A row about effort at Al-Ettifaq
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Georginio Wijnaldum was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Boardroom19 Mar 2029
Wages eat 176% of everything Al-Ettifaq earn
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
The dugout19 Mar 2029
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad19 Mar 2029
Titus Bulus and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout19 Mar 2029
“The supporters are entitled to be angry. So am I. We will put it right.” 1‑2, a manager saying the necessary things, and a dressing room that heard a different version of them.
The dugout19 Mar 2029
João Costa gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say João Costa is on it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market12 Mar 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad12 Mar 2029
Georginio Wijnaldum falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout12 Mar 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Abdullah Madu, and the manager let it.
Squad12 Mar 2029
Titus Bulus and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad12 Mar 2029
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Al-Ettifaq know it.
The dugout12 Mar 2029
Nobody at Al-Ettifaq will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout12 Mar 2029
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Abdoulaye Kanté trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market12 Mar 2029
João Costa linked with a move away
The name of João Costa keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Al-Ettifaq say nothing, which says plenty.
Loan watch12 Mar 2029
24 appearances away from home and 6 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Player ratings19 Feb 2029
At 38 every good afternoon gets called a throwback, and this one was: 7.82, and nobody on the pitch better.
Market19 Feb 2029
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Saud Al-Ruwaili will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Al-Ettifaq the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad19 Feb 2029
Words at Al-Ettifaq training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Georginio Wijnaldum is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad19 Feb 2029
Abdulbasit Hindi and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Boardroom19 Feb 2029
Wages eat 276% of everything Al-Ettifaq earn
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
The dugout19 Feb 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad19 Feb 2029
“I have tried. I have really tried, and every day I wake up in the wrong place.” Nobody at Al-Ettifaq can coach that out of a man, and nobody there is pretending to.
Match17 Feb 2029
1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
The dugout19 Feb 2029
João Costa has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Al-Ettifaq will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market18 Dec 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Al-Ettifaq can pretend not to have heard.
Market18 Dec 2028
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Saud Al-Ruwaili will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Al-Ettifaq the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad18 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Ettifaq this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match16 Dec 2028
1‑2 to Al-Hilal, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad18 Dec 2028
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Al-Ettifaq are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Player ratings18 Dec 2028
João Costa beats them one at a time
Successful dribbles: 16. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 1‑2 defeat, delivered by Faisal Al-Otaibi to a room that had heard them before.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
João Costa gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say João Costa is on it.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match9 Dec 2028
1‑3 to Al-Ittihad, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad11 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Ettifaq this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Faisal Al-Otaibi after 1‑3, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
Nobody at Al-Ettifaq will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
Abdullah Madu is still being punished for one mistake
Nobody will confirm it and the team sheets confirm it every week. One error has bought him a spell as second choice that is already longer than the error deserved.
Looking ahead11 Dec 2028
The leaders are next for Al-Ettifaq
Al-Hilal top the table and they are coming into view. Nothing to lose, which is what every manager says before losing.
Player ratings11 Dec 2028
Marked 4.90, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.
Looking ahead11 Dec 2028
He used to wear the other shirt. On Saturday he plays against Al-Hilal in this one, and whatever he says this week about it being just another game will be untrue.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match8 Nov 2028
Al-Nassr are out and Al-Ettifaq go through, 1‑0 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.
The dugout13 Nov 2028
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Al-Ettifaq may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad13 Nov 2028
Georginio Wijnaldum and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The terraces13 Nov 2028
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 23-year-old it feels ownership of. João Costa has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Match11 Nov 2028
Al-Taawoun left with the points after a 0‑2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Player ratings13 Nov 2028
João Costa was on a different afternoon to everybody else
8.29. There are performances a supporter describes to somebody who was not there and cannot quite convey; this was one, and the number does not help either.
The dugout13 Nov 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Awad Dahal, and the manager let it.
Squad13 Nov 2028
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Al-Ettifaq know it.
The dugout13 Nov 2028
“The supporters are entitled to be angry. So am I. We will put it right.” 0‑2, a manager saying the necessary things, and a dressing room that heard a different version of them.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The dugout23 Oct 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad23 Oct 2028
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
Market23 Oct 2028
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Saud Al-Ruwaili will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Al-Ettifaq the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad23 Oct 2028
Abdulbasit Hindi and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Match21 Oct 2028
Beaten 0‑1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad23 Oct 2028
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Al-Ettifaq know it.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Faisal Al-Otaibi after 0‑1, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Al-Ettifaq, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market25 Sep 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market25 Sep 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Al-Ettifaq is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad25 Sep 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Ettifaq this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The terraces25 Sep 2028
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 23-year-old it feels ownership of. João Costa has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Player ratings25 Sep 2028
João Costa was on a different afternoon to everybody else
8.24. There are performances a supporter describes to somebody who was not there and cannot quite convey; this was one, and the number does not help either.
Player ratings25 Sep 2028
There was no pressure on him and nowhere he had to be. Al-Ettifaq lost a goal to a decision that took half a second and will be discussed all week.
Match23 Sep 2028
A 1‑1 draw with Al-Khaleej leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
Madallah Al-Olayan is still being punished for one mistake
Nobody will confirm it and the team sheets confirm it every week. One error has bought him a spell as second choice that is already longer than the error deserved.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match26 Aug 2028
Beaten 0‑3 by Al-Hilal, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Market28 Aug 2028
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Al-Ettifaq people have started saying his name in the past tense.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Georginio Wijnaldum and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Transfer targets28 Aug 2028
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Words at Al-Ettifaq training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Meshal Sibyani is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Player ratings28 Aug 2028
Abdullah Al-Anazi ran the middle of the pitch — 6.70
He won it back and then made something of it, which is two jobs and the reason the scoreline looks the way it does. 9 combined actions and a mark of 6.70, and not one of them will make a highlights package.
Boardroom28 Aug 2028
The music was off and the showers ran late. What was said in that dressing room stays there, but Saturday will publish the minutes.
Squad28 Aug 2028
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Al-Ettifaq are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Loan watch28 Aug 2028
“I did not go to Al-Hazem to sit and watch. I want to come back to Al-Ettifaq and fight for my place.” 3 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.